


Why do I put up with you?

by SHSLPUNKARTIST



Category: Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Complicated Relationships, Leon wants to be cool, Multi, Slow Burn, Tags May Change, oc made solely for this fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2020-05-19 16:19:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19360444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SHSLPUNKARTIST/pseuds/SHSLPUNKARTIST
Summary: Leon, Mondo, and Celeste appear as the most unreasonable group of friends to hang out together, so much that it confuses even themselves. Leon is a "future musician" that has to tug actual chains to get them to do something fun, Mondo feels like he's babysitting more than hanging out, and Celeste is trying to find SOME use out of these idiotic delinquents. Yet one way or another, it almost feels wrong NOT to be around each other. Is this more than platonic feelings? Or just a.. feeling?





	1. Chapter 1

Why do we have to count on each other like this? Why does it feel so right to be with you? We shouldn't be together like this, and yet…  
\--------------------------------------------------------

 

Leon Kuwata had no idea why he would bother with these two. 

Leon was a rising musician, destined to become famous on stage and join all the hot singers known to man. He already had the title of the Ultimate Baseball Player to give him the boost he needed to get on top. Having that said, it was only obvious that someone like him be around the most popular groups, or better yet, lead his own. He knew how to socialize, how to use his (self proclaimed) good looks and convincing words to get far in activities and people, and how to just stand out in general. He had to be with the best of the best, the sexiest of sexiness..

And here he was, trying to get Corncob and the daughter of the Adam's family to have some fun.

"C'mon, it's just for one night! A BIG night!"

"A night full of drunk and sleazy fools who will jump off a roof to get into another fool's undergarments. I pass." Celeste rejected without even glancing in his direction, sipping her usual tea.

"Deadass. I don't got time for that shit, gotta gang meetin' tonight. Betcha only invitin' me t'use my bike anyway." Mondo glared Leon down, who twitched at that remark. Bullseye? 

"You guys don't do ANYTHING fun! It's not gonna be some drunkfest, I swear!" Why was Leon so desperate to get these two on board? Hell if he knew. But now he was very close to actually standing on one of the cafeteria chairs just to bring up the excitement, if there was any. "It's gonna be at Jiro's place, the dude with the whole lotta cash and the whole lotta mansion?? He's only allowing certain classes and people to the party too, no outsiders unless he knows 'em personally. You.." he pointed at Mondo,"need to learn how to loosen up and have fun with people outside of your gang and Hall Monitor man, and YOU.." he pointed at Celes (who didn't particularly like that, mind you), "can gamble with the rich bastards he knows! Major cash for FREE! Who would pass this up??"

The three of them sat in silence, the murmurs of other students being the only noise in the area. Leon stared in anticipation for their answer, slowly sitting back down in his own seat. Big mistake apparently, cuz Mondo took that chance to bonk him right on the head with his fist. "OW!! The fuck-?!"

"If one of those bastards pick a fight wit' me and I win but get in trouble, shit's on YOUR hands, Kuwata." Mondo grunted, making himself comfortable again to finish the rest of his food. The pain almost immediately disappeared once he realized he just got one of their approvals, and he quickly turned to Celeste like a dog when he heard her sigh.

"I'm going to learn about these 'rich bastards' myself first. If they have status to their name, I may consider it. If the party becomes a highschool hellfest, YOU will be experiencing a ROYAL hellfest. Understood♡?" 

"Y-Yes ma'am." 

Ok, so MAYBE Leon's life is on the line for this party that he hyped up more than what it was worth. Maybe he should've found some other people. Sure, Maizono had already denied, Togami was obviously a no-show, and Asahina wasn't going nowhere without bodyguard Oogami around. Not to mention everybody else wasn't status worth for a party. Still.. why did he fight so hard for these two? He knew other classes, other friends..

No, he was thinking too hard into it. A famous underground gambler and the head to a massive gang. THAT'S status to brag about. Yeah, status. That's why he really wanted these two. Just status..


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party has started, and it's time for Celeste to earn a lil extra cash for her future. It should be simple, right?

Celestia Ludenberg had no idea why she would bother with these two. 

Celes was a worldwide experienced gambler, widely known as the Queen Liar. She has taken down multiple people of riches and business with just a game of chance. Poker, Blackjack, Russian Roulette, name the game and she will win it. All her earnings slowly building up to fulfill her royal dream..

These rich fuckers better give her what she deserves.

She did her research and deemed them worthy of robbing, but perhaps she should've looked into her own escorts. She had looked fancy for the occasion, since she was familiar with Jiro and he wasn't one for having complete slobs at his home, but she should've expected that Leon and Mondo wouldn't care to be fancy themselves. Having to ride on a delinquent's gross bike that somehow fit all three of them (Leon was squished in the back, making it slightly amusing at his whining), but at least they made it in one piece.

Leon was dressed pretty nicely, much to her surprise. Well, nice in his type of style anyway. Clean black slacks, punkish shirt and loose tie, and a jacket that was just hanging by his arms. He was also wearing some light eyeliner that made his eyes pop. Obviously, he was still an amateur in decent style, but it wasn't her job to dress him. Let the mother handle it. Or rather, give Mondo a mother to dress him. He clearly didn't care, since he was still wearing his gang jacket and baggy clothes. Well, he did have his gang meeting right after the party, but a sensible person would've brought spare clothes.

Before she could glare at the boys with judgmental eyes, the excited punk boy rushed over to the door and gave it a hearty knock, making sure it was heard over the loud music. The man of the hour, Jiro, opened the door a few moments after, welcoming them in and wishing them a fun time. There was a large number of people there already, but it didn't seem crowded enough that everyone was huddled together, thanks to the size of the spacious house (which could be mistaken as a mansion, had Celeste be as stupid as her lowly escorts). Each available room had their designated functions for activities, Jiro was explaining to them, so it was best to follow the rules and go to said rules if they wanted to do something, just to keep things from getting messy. Mondo grumbled at the thought of having to follow rules in a party, but Leon was quick to shut him up and take him away to where the drinks were. Celeste watch them leave before sighing, ready to go another away until Jiro held his hand out to her.

"Miss Ludenberg, I'm very pleased you were able to come. I didn't think you would come with them, but I guess that doesn't matter." he smiled with a hint of snark in his tone. 

She was annoyed as it is just thinking about the bike ride, but she played her classic poker face and smiled right back, taking his offered hand. "Indeed, we have much more important matters to attend to. I hope all of the players have come prepared." To pay up, that is. Jiro simply nodded and took her to his Rec Room, where a few players were already waiting for them. None of them said a word, just silent nods as they prepared their game. Such familiar territory to Celeste. This was her belonging. Her sense of being. And she was going to take advantage of that, just as she always has.

\------

The game was halfway thru and all but 4 players were left broke already, thanks to Celeste gambling charm. She had most of the winnings, with Jiro being a not-ever-close second. The other two were at their wits end, and it showed through their terrible facades. Oh, how this amused her. It was well worth coming to this party. She was already putting in her bet when Jiro spoke up from the silence. "I should've given you more credit, Miss Ludenberg, you aren't one of those students that got their titles on a whim. I'm honestly honored to see your skills up close."

"Oh Jiro, flattery will get you nowhere, but I accept the praise. I've been more blessed with luck than most, it can't be helped." Celeste hummed as she traced one of the poker chips with her finger, mentally preparing herself for the verbal manipulation. Players always do this when they get close to losing; try to break you down with words to find some kind of weakness, and have their victim make a panicked mistake. She's seen in countless times. Hell, she sometimes USED that tactic. She knows it all, thanks to illegal underground gambling. "I would pass on some of my luck if I could, but alas, there are just those destined to lose, while others are destined to win. I think it's quite clear who is destined for what~"

There they were, the deadly glares and tightened hold on cards. How sensitive. She should just end this game quit, save them the torture. but Jiro was ready for this, as he only chuckled at her remarks. "You may be right. But you must have more than just amazing luck. Your other classmate already took the title of luck, right? Whoever he was.. but if titles define us, then you don't have your luck to thank for your success." He spun around one of his chips on the table as he spoke. "No, you have amazing technique. You had to develop one, what with your life-or-death gambling games. You would have to do anything to prove you weren’t some lowlife, like a boring Hagakure.”

Her hand twitched. It was so quick, so slight, nobody would really notice unless they were staring her down top to bottom. Her expression remained the same, cool eyes plastered with a soft smile. Nobody wouldn’t notice that twitch except herself. But if it wasn’t the twitch that was noticed..

It would the fact that she hasn’t taken a breath yet.

“.. You talk too much, Jiro. You should focus less on meaningless things and start preparing my winnings.” Celeste spoke with a sharp tongue, the air growing cold immediately by her voice alone. The other players were tempted to just up and leave to somewhere more lively and not full of venomous air, but Jiro was no coward. Celeste was now well aware of that. He nudged closer, she focused on her cards, she just needed this win. “Hagakure.. Is indeed a useless person. Just as you are and your pathetic game--”

CRASH!!

“YOU STILL WANNA TALK SHIT?! C’MON FUCKERS, I’LL TAKE YOU ALL ON!!”

Celeste recognized that voice all too well, and she can pretty much guess what that loud crash could be. The game was quickly forgotten, as everyone got up to check out the situation. “Dammit.. What have you done, Mondo??”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This too much longer than it should've, considering I already had half this chapter done, but some real life issues came up. I should upload more chapters more quickly though, as well as change up some tags. Next is Mondo, we'll see what (or who) he broke this time


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party's going into full tilt, or is that just Mondo? Or is it also Celeste? Or is it also...

Mondo had no idea why he would bother with these two.

Mondo was the leader of the largest and strongest gang out there, the Crazy Diamonds. Everyone on the streets knew of him and his gang, and only fools who wanted the ultimate gang status would try to take them down. He was used to getting in and out of trouble, and no matter what, he would keep the gang that was built by him as his brother strong and alive. 

Leon was way too energetic for anyone’s good, always having some idea that tries to get them social with a bunch of random groups that had zero interest in them. Celeste was too mysterious and demanding to even hang with, always using her gambling games to steal from everyone and anyone. Both of them were too different from him, who just wanted school to pass by so he could either chill with his gang or Ishimaru and Fujisaki, who were more his kind of company (even if they too could get pretty hectic). 

Why he let Leon drag him into his nonsense, who the hell knows, but it’s because of said dragging that Mondo was now surrounded by 10 of the party guests, 3 already knocked down and 1 recovering from a nasty blow to the stomach.

“C’mon, talk more shit! Had a whole lotta words comin’ out that ass of a mouth earlier!” Mondo taunted, cracking his knuckles as he stepped closer to the man recovering. 2 of the guests intervened to stop him, but this was a no-holds bar fight now. Not giving a shit about the surroundings, the gang leader easily grabbed one of the guys and punched him square in the jaw, swinging him into the other and knocking them both down. “Y’wanna talk down on th’ Crazy Diamonds, yet y’don’t even know how to punch a man?? ‘Fraid you’ll break a nail? COME ON!”

“Mondo?!” a familiar voice called out to him, and he turned to see the redhead in a state of shock. Celeste quickly joined with Leon, but she didn’t seem as surprised. “What’s going on?? The hell are you doing??”

“Creating a mess in my house, THAT’S for certain.” an angry Jiro glared at Mondo, who was probably gonna pop a blood vessel from his anger rising. “Kuwata, you said these two would behave themselves when they came to this party, yet here we are in this predicament.” 

Behave themselves?? Why did he talk like Leon owned them?? Now Celeste looked angered herself, her favorite ring would look like a little weapon if she was closer. “Luckily” for her, Mondo was already charging at him at full force, landing a direct punch at Jiro’s head. The force sent him to the ground grunting in pain, everyone gasping and rushing to either a safe room or out of the house. “I didn’t even WANT to come to this bitchass party! Y’all got fuckwits that wanna shit talk my gang and can’t even eat bread without whining ‘bout how much it hurts!” He glared back at the small group, who froze in place from helping their friends up. “Tell me yer bullshit gang name! We’ll have a REAL fight once I tell the boys what’s up! Y’won’t be able to live this down, mark my fuckin’ words!”

Something grabbed at his arm, and boy was he ready to swing again, but his fist halted in the air once he realized it was Leon. He looked pretty pissed himself, but his own hands were kinda shaky. “Mondo, let’s go. Now..” he glanced over at the host, who was dialing his phone while collecting his bearings. Great. The authorities.

“Nothin’ new.. Shit.” Mondo shoved the redhead’s hold off, only to grab his arm and rush to Celeste, grabbing her arm as well. She resisted at first from the harsh treatment, demanding he let her go, but they didn’t have time to be gentle right now. They shoved everyone out of their way to get outside, quickly climbing on the bike and revving it up for their getaway. Some of the guests tried their final attempt to stop them, but the gang leader was too used to this, too ready. He drove right up on the curb, as if to run them right over, causing them to quickly fall back out of panic. Taking that chance of freedom, Mondo hauled ass out of there, escaping the scene of the crime before they could hear any sirens.

\-----

It took only a few moments for the trio to make it back to the baseball star’s apartment, Mondo luckily finding a good spot to hide his bike while the police had their blind chase. It was too risky going outside right now, and it was much too late to wait out the police, so the group silently agreed to spend the night together. Aggression levels were slowly decreasing, and it was replaced by the feeling of awkwardness and slight annoyance. At each other, at the situation, no one was really sure. 

The boys were left sitting in the living room while Celeste used the bathroom to clean off her make-up and get into.. Less than appealing old clothes Leon had saved for whatever reason. Mondo took a few glances at Leon, who was looking down at his phone and mindlessly scrolling through his messages. Should he apologize? Should he get mad at him for taking him to that party? Was it okay to say, “I told you so”? Nah, no matter how he looked at it, he messed up this chance for him. He hated this, he really did, because he knew damn well it wasn’t his fault, but he had to be the bigger man. Mondo sighed and turned to face Leon, saying, “Look, I’m-”

“Fuck that guy.”

Ok, that caught him by surprise. Leon didn’t even look away from his phone, but Mondo could see the tight grip he had on it. “I knew he was an asshole, knew he was gonna try somethin’.. Goddammit..” he cursed under his breath before locking his phone and tossing it onto his lap and groaning. “I’m real sorry, man. That bastard.. I told him I wanted to take you guys, but it might not work out if they aren’t interested.. To be honest, I was almost ready to call the stupid thing off, but he kept insisting you guys come anyway. Figured he’d do somethin’ to mess with ya..”

“Wait, y’knew he was gonna pull some shit?” He wasn’t expecting this, not at all. His posture straightened up as he had his full attention on the other. “Is that why he had some lowlife bastards at that party? Cuz I know I saw their logo before, they just didn’t matter cuz all they did was lose t’me.”

“It seems as though that disgusting pig did a little homework on us before having that kind of arrangement.” Celeste’s bitter voice joined their conversation as she walked to the boys in the loose pjs given to her, her hair up in a small bun. If this was any normal situation, all of them would be embarrassed, but they had other matters to focus on. “Having untrained delinquents start a fight with you, and him knowing a little too much of my-..” she paused, enforcing her composure before continuing, “gambling history. He wanted to rile us up, perhaps to get us in this sort of trouble.”

Leon looked away again, tensing up as the reality kicked in further. “He had to have known.. He even had some of the Ultimate students that were focused in music and performances for me. Ones I especially had interest in forming a group with. But..” he gripped on his phone again. “All they did was shit talk you two. Calling Mondo a loose rabid dog with no chain leash, and Celeste a Cinderella look alike that hides behind powder and frills. Those fake fuckers..”

See, Mondo and Celeste would’ve been pissed themselves (hell, they WERE pissed, who the hell did they think they were??), but Leon was quick to the punch by.. Literally punching the couch’s cushion. They looked at each other in confusion before looking back at the redhead, Mondo being the first to speak up. “Uh.. they only insulted us, didn’t they? They say anythin’ ‘bout you-”

“ONLY insulted you?! That was only ONE of of the things they said!” Leon yelled back, suddenly standing up from the couch. “They all acted as if they knew everything about you two! Like yeah, I may not know everything about you two, but the amount of SHIT they were saying! I was so close, SO close, to just punching one of the chicks in the face! And then they had that gang to try and fight you, and they messed with your game and head, and just.. Fuckin’... argh!” Leon kicked the couch out of anger, hurting his own foot in the process, but he clearly couldn’t care less about that pain. “Such bullshit! They never wanted to learn about me or help me jump into music! They just wanted to mess with you guys-!”

“Leon Kuwata.” Celeste spoke up, and hearing his full name in a calm tone shut him up. “Believe me when I say that both me and Oowada are disgusted by them. They insulted our pride and talent for who knows what. But from what you seem to be ranting about, it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with you.” She moved closer, grabbing his chin softly to make sure his full attention was on her. 

“Is there a reason why the most bothered person here is you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I'll update this fic more often, I promise"  
> (doesn't post anything weeks later)  
> I've made a new goal, post at least 1 new chapter a week, I keep losing focus cuz of real life stuff  
> This is definitely going to become a ship thing, I hope I can keep the plot strong before it happens!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things have been getting complicated since the party, from rumors to inner tension. Are the trio able to recover from this?

It was fortunate that the party happened on the weekend because it gave the trio a day break to recover from the catastrophic night, though they wondered if that was enough. Leon thought about that night nonstop, even after the other two had left early in the morning. It wasn’t even the party itself that he was focusing on so much, but the end of the night itself…

“Is there a reason why the most bothered person here is you?” 

That question caught him so off guard at that moment, he couldn’t even respond to Celeste properly. When no response was given and she had to shake his head a little to “wake him up”, he quickly shrugged it off as just him being mad, and rushed quickly to the bathroom. They didn’t persist on an answer once he came back, since they were all exhausted at that point. Celeste took Leon’s bed, and the boys rock-paper-scissored on who would get the couch and who got the floor (Leon won, but he made sure to give Mondo his best blankets and pillows). Celeste had called a cab early once morning came, and Mondo left shortly after, only drinking a cup of juice to give him some kind of energy.

Leon would’ve felt relieved that they left so quickly without much conversation, but it only left him alone with his thoughts and her question. Why WAS he the most bothered person out of all of them? He would think it was because he was given zero attention at that party, but if that was the kind of attention they were giving out, he didn’t want any of it. Maybe it was because he wasn’t present when the others were being messed with, and he couldn’t do anything about it. Still, it had nothing to do with him, right? ...No, no it did, Mondo and Celeste weren’t just some random people he brought to the party, they were his FRIENDS. Close or not, they were still people he cared about. Friends he cared about..

“FUCK!” Something sharp hit his finger all of a sudden, which caused him to drop the knife and suck on the blood coming out of his new cut. Oh. Right. He was going to make a sandwich and absentmindedly cut the tomatoes, not paying attention to where his hand was. Maybe he should just go back to sleep.

\-----

Going back to school went down exactly how they imagined: rumors and bullshit stories. Tons of students were whispering whenever Leon walked by, pointing at him or taking a few steps away from him. He could hear Mondo and Celeste’s name mentioned ever so often, as well as hearing the louder rumors, “I heard Oowada had a gun and was ready to shoot up the place,” and “Someone said Celestia tried to poison people because she was losing at a game”. He forced himself to ignore it and blasted music into his ears as he made it to his classroom. Fighting them would probably make him feel good at the moment, but he didn't need the rumors to get worse or be confirmed.

Once he got with his decent classmates, he immediately scanned for Mondo and Celeste. Mondo was talking with Kiyotaka and Chihiro (both of them seemingly concerned about the rumors), and Celeste had smacked away Hifumi after retrieving her lunch from him (probably being too nosy for his own good). Part of him seemed a bit relieved to see them in class, but he kept his head down as he made it to his seat. He got into his apps to find a game to pass the time with, until an arm wrapped around his shoulder and pulled out one of his earbuds.

“Kuwata-cchi, what happened?? Did you upset the gods and get yourself into trouble again?” Of course it was Yasuhiro, except Makoto and Sayaka were also there. It was because of their presences that only made Leon smack Yasuhiro’s arm off, instead of pulling on his hair as usual. “What’d I tell ya’ about getting with the wrong crowds? Am I gonna hafta make charms of protection as an added bonus of business?”

“Shut up, keep your dollar store crap to yourself.” Leon growled at him, but softened up when he turned his attention to the other two. “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised that everyone knows..”

“Well..” Makoto shook his head with a sheepish smile, “It’s hard to know what actually went down, since everyone’s saying different things. Oowada and Celeste aren’t really talking about it themselves..”

Leon sighed and slouched on his desk, feeling more exhausted by the minute. “None of the crazy rumors are true. They started a fight with Mondo and they weren’t playing fair with Celeste, so they got mad. Nobody friggin’ died or got shanked or whatever. Just punched, if anything.” He wasn’t sure if they believed his words at first, but it seems they did when they sighed of relief.

“Please be careful, Kuwata, rumors can be very dangerous if left to the imagination for too long.” Sayaka smiled as she spoke, reaching over to rub his shoulder in reassurance. “We believe you. Neither Oowada nor Celestia seem like the kind of people to kill people over disputes.”

“Uh.. Maizono-cchi, have you MET those two before??” Yasuhiro questioned, but only got jabbed at the side by Leon. “Owowow, ok ok.. She’s got a point though, rumors can get as crazy as people believing the Earth is flat and how the government is hiding aliens in Area 51!” He leaned in to whisper quietly, “I’m still investigating that, by the way--ack!!” Another jab.

“I think what we wanna say..” Makoto spoke up again, looking a bit more confident, “is that we know you guys are telling the truth, and we’ll try to help calm those rumors down. It’s not fair to go through that kinda stuff at a place like this. We’re here for you guys, no matter what.” He gave a thumbs up before looking at Sayaka, who gave her own thumbs up to him. Geez, did they rehearse that?

It was enough to put the redhead at ease though, and he chuckled as he straightened up. “Heh, thanks guys. Put that good luck talent to use and make them shut up quick. Still got a whole 2 years to get up in the music business, and I don’t need these rumors just yet. Gotta wait ‘til I’m famous!” he said, smiling his usual grin as they laughed with him. It was good that he count on his own classmates with stuff like this, and just in time too, the teacher came in to start the lesson. 

Everyone headed back to their own seats, except Yasuhiro, who stopped and rummaged through his shirt to pull out a note. “Oh, here ya go. Celes-cchi wanted me to give this to you. Told me not to open it, but I prayed any curses out of it, you’re safe~” One last jab to the side and Yasuhiro was back to his own seat.

Leon shook his head and waited until the teacher was writing stuff on the blackboard before glancing over at Celeste. She was reading her own book, not paying attention to whatever lesson was happening or to him. He hesitated, but opened the note under his desk to read it..

-Come to the library during lunch, we have much to discuss.-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well would you look at that, I've updated quickly  
> Part of me wants to space these chapters out so that it isn't that one chapter is done one day and the next is done 2 weeks later, but I think I should just get these rolling while the motivation is strong  
> Does Yasuhiro use -cchi for everyone or just the dudes? Ah well, I'm using it for everyone  
> Is Leon oblivious to his feelings or is he just denying them? I'll never tell


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's quite apparent that the trio is fed up with the rumors spreading around them, so it's time to formulate a plan to at LEAST shut Jiro up.

For fuck’s sake, time always seem to move slower than it should when you have plans for something else. Leon’s rapid leg bobbing caught more of his attention than whatever the teacher was blabbering about, even more so than usual. He even had difficulty doodling stick figures in his notebook instead of taking proper notes, and that’s saying something. But the bell eventually rang and as everyone packed their stuff, he was shoving whatever he took out of his bag while rushing out the door. He probably should’ve just waited for Celeste and Mondo by the door so they could go together, but you can’t really think straight when your thoughts are already all over the place.

Fast as he was, however, he immediately caught a glimpse of a familiar black dress entering the library. How did Celeste get there so quickly?? The redhead shook his head and rushed in, almost bumping into her, but still making her just as irritated as if he touched her. He stared with wide eyes and was about to apologize, but was caught off by her grabbing his shirt collar and dragging him into a smaller room, locking the door behind them.

“You really hafta be so rough? I was gonna say sorry-..” Leon grumbled, but Celeste simply huffed and dusted off a small stool before sitting down. For someone that could be mistaken as someone that invented the poker face, she was NOT hiding her displeasure well. He adjusted his shirt collar and scratched the back of his head before giving into his curiosity. “How’d you get here quicker than me?You don’t seem like the running type.”

“”Do you not pay attention to your surroundings when your mind is preoccupied? I left class 5 minutes before it was over so I could claim this room in peace.” Celeste’s gaze pierced Leon’s, but it took just a few moments before she sighed and relaxed herself. “Oowada will be here shortly. Then we can discuss a small plan I’ve come up with.” She reached into her small handbag and pulled out a black dolled up notebook, softly patting it with a smile on her face. There’s the pokerface. 

Sure enough, Mondo swung the door open and cursed at Hifumi about some anime crap, only closing the door when Celeste cleared her throat in an annoyed manner. With Leon sitting on a stack of books (which made a somewhat stable chair somehow), Celeste on her stool, and Mondo leaning on the door, it seemed time to start talking about said plans… right?

“So I’mma break his arms an’ legs so he’ll hafta crawl like a snail-” Mondo started, but the gambler’s purposely loud page flip made him stop. Leon couldn’t stop the smile forming on his face though. It was a good mental image.

“We, unfortunately, cannot hurt him severely in a physical manner. He is a child of wealth and power, he could easily ruin whatever future you have planned for yourself if you attack him.” Earning the sound of Mondo sucking his teeth in annoyance, Celeste continued. “We have to take our revenge in a way that will torture him enough not to mess with us again, as well as some extra, but not enough to get us with a more horrendous reputation. Hence why you boys should start praising me within my clever thinking now~”

Both boys were confused by Celeste’s sudden boasting, so she opened her notebook and waved at them to gather around her, in which they reluctantly listened and peered over her shoulder. The pages shown were filled to the brim of her delicate handwriting, describing different gambling games and punishments that could possibly happen. “You see, Jiro was at an advantage because we were in his home, surrounded by his people, and forced to play by his rules. If he was an average lowlifer, I would’ve seen that environment as an added challenge. But he took advantage of his location and game, so all I simply have to do is entice him with a rewarding game in his favor, make sure he’s ever so close to victory, then..” She slammed her book shut with a clap of her hands, “Crush him until he’s as tiny as a 100 yen coin, which is all he will own when I’m through with him~” 

Damn, which was more scary: when she’s angry or she’s excited? Leon and Mondo were frozen stiff from seeing some of the games, but the gangleader was first to speak up. “Uh.. listen. I get ya, y’wanna fuck wit’ him as much as possibly, but dealin’ wit’ him all by yourself? And those games, like.. The fuck’s the Guilotine game?? Higher or Lower, but each bet is at least 100,000 yen?? Fuckin Russian Roulette?? Hell no you’re not doin’ this shit!”

“Y-Yeah, isn’t that a lil much? You said we couldn’t do anything crazy, yet look at you!” Leon added, wanting to snatch the book away and rip out the pages, but he knew that would be a horrible mistake for his hand. “Don’t tell me you actually feel comfortable playing with those kinda stakes, Celeste..”

“I am the Ultimate Gambler for a reason, Kuwata. I did not get the experience, knowledge, and fortunes by simply playing fair and careful. As a gambler, I am always ready to put everything on the line. I have more bravery than most men, which is why I’ve yet to lose.” Her tone was sharp, yet it had a hint of reassurance. She looked back at the boys with no happiness nor anger, just seriousness. “That’s also why I don’t intend on losing the next time I face him. If there’s anyone in the world I trust, it’s me and my talent.”

“Well now y’gotta learn how to trust me, cuz no way in hell am I lettin’ ya do this shit.” Mondo straightened up and walked around to properly face her. “As a man, I can’t let a lady get herself hurt over some douchebag. Even if yer good at flippin’ cards or gettin’ special flushes or whatever the fuck, I can’t let ya risk yerself that hard.” He cracked his knuckles and grinned in his own kind of reassurance. “Don’t worry ‘bout a damn thing, I’mma take care of ‘em myself. Don’t matter what he does to me, I don’t got much goin’ on anyway. “Sides, he insulted the gang me and bro worked our lives on, no way can I let him slide without a good beatdown.”

Despite Mondo’s comforting words, Celeste let out a sigh of disbelief and stood up, red eyes challenging purple. “Having your plan only be you beating him up is exactly why I don’t trust you. I know my own capabilities, I can handle someone like him with ease. You should just let a lady handle this, as I have a more promising win record than you.”

“Th’ hell you mean by that?? I‘M makin’ sure y’actually keep all your pretty fingers! What kinda lady plays that fuckin’ gun game anyway?!” Mondo towered over her, but she clearly wasn’t faltering back. The pair went back and forth in their argument, either praising their own abilities or demeaning the other’s. Neither of them seemed to want to back out of their stance, and their voices only grew in volume and frustration.. Until a textbook was harshly slammed on the floor, making a loud enough sound to make them both jump.

“Let me handle him.”

Leon had finally spoken, his body shaking a bit from his own inner struggles. Celeste and Mondo glanced at each other in confusion, so he spoke up again. “You guys are gonna do something stupid that gets yourself in serious trouble, thinking all the punishment is gonna be on just you.. Both of you are stupidly obvious.” The all-star gritted his teeth as he glared at the book he threw down. “It’s all my fault for bringing you guys over to that damn party, yet you guys are trying to fix everything on your own. I’M gonna be the one to fix my mistake. Just hearing you guys talk like it doesn’t matter if your futures are lost.. Fuckin’ idiots!”

“Kuwata—” Celeste was about to retort, but Leon wasn’t having it. Not caring about the consequences anymore, he snatched her notebook away and ripped out the pages that had the plan, crumbling them up and throwing them into one of the many book piles.

“I can tell that he doesn’t like you two for some reason, but he seems fine around me. Remember, he and those fake bastards he got only seemed to praise me, while you guys were just getting shit on. If anyone has a good chance at getting close to him without immediate suspicion, it’s me.” He looked back at the others and held out the notebook. “I think I have a plan to mess him up without doing anything crazy. It might take some time, but I’ll make it happen, so..” He tried to smile encouragingly, but they both could easily see his lips waver, “let me fix this, ok? Trust me, I won’t stop until things are back to normal.”

Mondo and Celeste seemed hesitant, they were both so caught up in their own plans that they didn’t bother hearing Leon out. They would be surprised or even fight with him as well, had they not known that Leon felt the most responsible for this mess. “.. even so, you haven’t given us any details on this so-called plan.” she finally answered, both her voice and facial expression soft. “How can we trust that YOU won’t get yourself hurt?”

“Well, for one, I’m not gonna fight him or risk my fingers in a game.” He chuckled. No one else did. He sighed. “I don’t wanna go into detail with it because it has to involve other people. Specifically our detective and programmer..”

“Whoa whoa whoa, y’better not rope Fujisaki into this shit!” Mondo growled, ready to grab Leon by the collar, but the shorter male was quick to back up.

“Don’t worry, I swear I won’t get them into this bullshit! I just need their help. If it goes well in my head, then..” he smiled, a real one this time, “Well, just trust me, ok? You guys can beat me up everyday if I fuck up!”

Mondo didn’t respond, nor did Celeste, they had to think. Was it really a good idea? They were ready to put themselves on the line for a common enemy, and yet Leon made it sound convincing JUST enough for them to question their own original plans. Having him go on his own with a plan they don’t know about nor understand.. But perhaps he was right, perhaps he was their best chance at getting close to him at all.

…………

“Rip my property again and I’ll pull off that goatee of yours with Yamada’s teeth.”

“Get Fujisaki hurt and yer dead.”

With a brighter smile, Leon bowed and held out her notebook. “Sorry~!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, so much for being more active--  
> My motivation comes and goes, but I've gotten a few encouraging comments, so I think I can bring out a few more chapters!  
> I also plan on writing some one-shots with pairs from DR and BNHA, with Leon and Female Izuku being the main focus (I can't help it, favoritism), so let me know of any ideas you'd like to see in the future  
> All support is appreciated~
> 
> PS, I'm not sure if I wanna reveal that Chihiro is a guy yet, since he's not the main focus, so I'm just gonna refer to him with they/them pronouns. Safety reasons

**Author's Note:**

> This idea is just starting with the party invitation, but it may become more in the future chapters. Celeondo is one of my favorite DR ships despite not making much sense or being popular, but I'll make it work. Ideas for them is welcomed~


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